Goodwill Ambassador of 2016

Yo-Yo Ma

Friends was honored to welcome world-renown cellist, humanitarian and United Nations Messenger of Peace Yo-Yo Ma as our 2016 Goodwill Ambassador. A Chinese-American born in Paris, Ma was a child prodigy from the age of five and attended The Julliard School and Harvard University. His career as a soloist includes musical performances around the world and 18 Grammy Awards for his 90+ albums.

A great philanthropist with a long history of supporting notable causes, Yo-Yo Ma was introduced to Friends Without A Border in 2002 during the Silk Road Festival at the Smithsonian National Museum in Washington. An exhibit of photos by Friends Founder Kenro Izu was a part of the festival, which was organized by Ma. He became interested in Kenro’s fusion of art and humanitarian work and helped Friends celebrate its 20th anniversary as a Goodwill Ambassador for 2016.

Please enjoy a video message below from Yo-Yo Ma to learn more about his involvement and support of Friends Without A Border.